Greens Health

Our greens are recovering nicely from the summer. Some people may say "the greens have been great since our fall aerification, what do you mean they are recovering nicely?"  What we are talking about is the root recovery. Through the summer, we lost most of our roots. This is typical of bentgrass greens in the summer.  Since our fall aerification we have been pushing root growth.  We are back to around 4" root depth on average. This is a very promising sign of our greens health going forward. We still have some really good weather ahead to push the roots even more.  Everything is pointing to healthy greens going into spring and even healthier going into next summer. 

Enjoy the good golfing weather we have coming up. 

Liquid Overseeding

This year we are joining in with a lot of other clubs who have been "tinting" their Bermuda for the winter.  This is a process of spraying a pigment on the grass prior to it going dormant and then making monthly applications throughout the winter to keep the bermudagrass green without overseeding it with ryegrass. This has several benefits over putting out ryegrass seed. It saves the money from the seed, fertilizer, water, labor and fuel to mow, etc...  It is also better for the bermudagrass transition out of dormancy in the spring. The bermuda won't have to compete with the ryegrass in the spring for sun or nutrients. The pigment also keeps the soil warmer and can help with a faster spring green up because of the warmer soil. 

We made our first application today of our pigment.  We are tinting our intermediate rough this year to give definition from our fairways and rough from the tees. If we get good feedback, maybe we can expand next year and do some larger areas. 

We have tried two different products and will continue to use the one we feel performs the best.  Pigments work different than paints or dyes. The pigments are actually absorbed by the plant and make the plant green from the inside instead of a paint or dye that just bonds to the outside of the leaf.  Paints and dyes wash off or wear off with rain or traffic.  Pigments last longer and give you a more realistic look. In some cases, it is hard to tell a difference from tinted grass and ryegrass.  

Greens Aerification

The time has come again to aerify  greens. This aerification we used a 1/2" tine and pulled a core. We then cleaned the greens off and put out a heavy topdressing of sand to fill the holes. The sand is then dragged on the greens until the holes are full. If there is any excess sand, it will be blown off of the greens. 

This Fall aerification usually signals the end of Summer for us on the maintenance staff. As much work as the process is, we are usually very happy to get to this time because the greens (and us) can all take a deep breath and start to enjoy Fall when the process is done. 

Thanks for hanging in there with us this Summer and I hope to see you out here in a few weeks when the greens are in great shape again. 

Pushing Our Greens A Little

We have gotten to a point in the season where the weather is going to allow us to manipulate our greens and firm them up and speed them up as well. Today we sprayed a growth regulator on them to slow the vertical growth and promote lateral growth. This will help get them tighter. We also lowered our height of cut. We didn't lower them much, but it was enough coupled with the growth regulator to notice a difference in green speeds. Depending on how they react, we will probably slightly lower the height of cut again next week. 

In years past we have had to concentrate all of our efforts this time of year to greens recovery and regrowth. With the weather this year and some of the practices we put in place, we have very healthy greens that we can push. This also means a faster recovery from aerification and we will be able to have them rolling faster and playing firmer than years past. Everything is lining up for a great end of summer and an even better fall. Hope to see you on the course soon and often. 

New Twitter Feed

We have a new Twitter feed for our Golf Maintenance Department. If you are on Twitter, you can follow us now. Our Twitter handle is @GNTurf. Social media has become a huge part of the golf industry just like all other industries. I follow a lot of golf industry people and companies and I like to retweet some of their stuff as well as post a lot of the things we are doing on the course along with some of my thoughts. I hope you will follow us and chime in with some tweets of your own. Feel free to tweet any questions or comments. 

Fall Preemergence

It's that time of the year again when you should consider putting down a preemergence for winter weed control. I usually recommend applying a preemergence between August 15th and September 15th. Why such a big gap in dates? Weather dictates everything we do for weed control. If you have had a dry summer I would recommend applying your preemergence more towards the September date, but if you have had a wet summer like we have had this year I would go with the August date. The more rain you have had will more than likely cause early weed germination for winter weeds. Poa is one of the worst possible weeds you can have and it loves cool and wet weather. So stay ahead of those pesky weeds and apply a preemergence for a nice clean lawn all winter long. 

Nematode Sampling

Today we are sampling for nematodes again. We have done this monthly all year. Since our application of Curfew, we have seen our lowest numbers in years. This can also be partly credited to the cooler weather. 

In years past we have had 14-18 greens over the threshold in 1-2 types of nematodes. This year we have only had 1 green over the threshold. Hopefully today's samples will show the same results. 

Finally got some good help

Today was the first day I've had my daughter, Lily, at the course with me. She came to visit me after we got the course set up and before it was time to watch greens in the afternoon. It was fun having her ride in the cart and she really enjoyed rolling the golf ball on the greens. 

She is our only child, so I am enjoying all of this for the first time. One day she will be able to ride with me and play golf while we check the course. 

Roots Hanging On

This time of year is usually the most hectic time for superintendents that are growing bentgrass in the south. We are 40 days away from September and we are 57 days away from our fall aerification. The fall aerification is the big date for the greens. This is when we can open them up with our big holes and allow them to breathe a little better. That is also when we start to grow our roots back and get our greens healthy. During the heat of the summer and the rainfall that usually accompanies the heat in Georgia, our roots shrink until they are almost nonexistent. Luckily this year, that hasn't been the case so far.  We have seen the roots lose some mass and also lose some length, but pulling samples today, they are still holding a sample together at an average of about 3.5"-4". This is very promising. In past years at this time, we haven't been able to hold a sample together below 1" or so.  We credit this to cooler temps mostly, but also to our Curfew application in the spring. We do not have the nematodes feeding on the roots as we have had in years past and this has helped tremendously. We also have to credit our soil penetrant that has helped us keep our greens as dry as possible in this extremely wet summer.  Without these three factors, there's no telling what our greens would look like right now.  There won't be a single golfer who will see what our roots look like, but every one of them notice the greens are healthy. Without healthy roots, the grass wouldn't be healthy.

This is the sample that the roots are holding together.  The first thing we look at when pulling a profile is how much the roots can hold together.  This is extremely good for July 22. (Notice the clean sand near the top from our past aerifications.)

The other thing we look at is the actual roots. The white color of these roots tells us that they are still relatively healthy. The presence of root hairs is also very promising because that is the part of the root that takes up the nutrients and water. 

Checking Green Speeds

For the last month, we have been checking and recording green speeds. We have 3 greens that we check daily so we are staying consistent. 

We have a USGA Stimpmeter that we check them with. It is a 3' long piece of aluminum that is v shaped with a groove near the top for the golf ball to rest in. You place a ball in the groove while holding the Stimpmeter low with one end on the green. You slowly raise the end with the ball until the ball starts to roll. Once you roll 3 balls, you measure the distance from the ball to the end of the Stimpmeter. Then you roll the balls back in the other direction. Once you measure the distance back, you take an average of the two distances and this is the green speed. Today they are rolling 9'5". 

Please Fill Your Divots

There is nothing worse than striping a perfect drive right down the middle of a perfectly manicured, lush green fairway just to have your ball wind up in a divot that no one bothered to fill with sand. 

Here is a picture taken this morning.  I watched a golfer hit his shot into 14 green. When he missed the green, he promptly dropped 5 more balls and tried again. He hit the green 3 times out of those 5 shots. He then got in his cart (which had a full sand bottle) and drove off. He got to the green and putted the closest ball without fixing any of his 3 ball marks. 

It took me about 15 seconds to fill and smooth his divots and about 30 seconds to fix his ball marks along with 3 or 4 more. Please take the time to do this and the course will be a lot better for it. 

Spraying Bermuda Runners

Today we sprayed all of the runners in our bunkers. We did not use a Glyphosate product such as Round-Up. The problem with using Glyphosate (active ingredient in Round-Up) products is that they move through the plant. If we sprayed that on our runners, it would have moved through the plant and we would see dead grass all around the bunkers instead of just where we sprayed the runners. We opted to use a product called Finale. It is a non selective herbicide like glyphosate, but it doesn't move through the plant. Once the runners die, we will pull them and touch up the edges of the bunkers. 

I'm sure any home owner who has sprayed weeds in their pinestraw or mulch has noticed the kill around the edges if they use Round-Up. Finale is a good option to use in these cases around the edges. 

Repairing Ball Marks

Please repair your ball marks.  Everyone sees these signs around every course.  Not everyone knows how to repair their ball marks correctly. This time of year it is crucial for everyone to chip in and do their part to help the greens be the healthiest they can be.  This includes repairing the ball marks.  I have enlisted the help of Drew, our assistant pro, to help inform you how to correctly repair your ball marks.

Also, here is a link you can click on to better inform you on how and why to repair your ball marks correctly.  

http://www.gcsaa.org/Course/Communication/Information-for-Golfers/Repairing-ball-marks.aspx

Just remember to fix your ball mark and one other and the greens will be better for it.  

Venting

One cultural practice we perform during the summer months is venting our greens. Venting is opening the greens up so the roots can get some air. It also allows gas exchange in the soil and also lets the greens dry in wet conditions. For our venting, we use our aerifier with 1/4" solid tines.

Depending on weather and greens health, we will either load it up with 60 tines, or just go with a half load of 30. Today we loaded it up with 60. 

Our process today was a busy one. We started before daylight venting the greens and then immediately rolled them. We wanted to finish this part of the process before the heat of the day. 

Then we came in and topdressed them.  Since the weather was cool and the greens are healthy, we decide to drag in our sand. We usually don't do this in the summer because it can be very abrasive to the greens, but it was cool and cloudy for most of the morning so we decided to drag. This helps to work the sand down into the canopy faster so we won't pick up the sand tomorrow with our mowers. 

This is the green after the venting. 

This is the holes after the roller. 

This is our finished product after the greens have been sanded and the sand was worked in using the drag. 

It looks like the holes are closed up, but they are still open under the surface allowing the roots to get some air and allowing gas exchange. This was a very important practice to do with all of the rain forecasted this week. 

Dusting Greens

We have continued to lightly topdress, or dust, greens. This is another tool we use to keep our greens healthy. The benefits range from fighting algae to reducing temperatures. The light dusting also helps keep the greens rolling smooth and will actually speed the greens up about .5' on the stimpmeter the day of dusting. 

This is what the green looks like right after the dusting. As the day goes on, the sand starts to work its way into the canopy and is less visible. It is still benefiting the greens, but it is just less visible. 

Growth Regulators

Some of you have asked how the grass never got out of control over the last two weeks with all of the rain. The reason is a Plant Growth Regulator (PGR) we spray on our tees, collars, approaches, and fairways called Primo Maxx. This is another one of our tools we use for better turf. This chemical makes the plant put all of its energy into growing horizontally instead of vertically. It pretty much shuts down the vertical growth of the grass allowing it to really tighten up and fill divots faster. We spray it every 14-21 days depending on weather. With this product applied, we can afford to only mow our short cut bermudagrass once a week and will not have to worry about scalping or getting bombarded with an enormous amount of clippings. Without the PGR, we would have to mow at least twice a week and in some cases, three times. Along with the PGR we also add a humic acid product called Propel which acts as a liquid aerification to the soil. This is a new product for us this year and we are extremely happy with the results so far. 

So next time we get a lot of rain, just know we have chemicals working for us so our short cut bermudagrass will not get out of control. We can't guarantee the same for the rough, so I suggest you hit it straight. See you out here soon. 

Moving Some Air

You may have noticed we have turned on our fans on the greens. This week we got over 3.5" of rain with more forecasted over the next 5 days. We decided to turn on our fans to help dry the greens down and cut down on the disease pressure. We continue to preventatively spray fungicides, but our fans are another big tool we can use in these situations. 

If you haven't been out in a while, the entire course is in excellent condition right now. The fairways are lush and the greens are rolling very good and consistent now. We are even allowing carts off of the paths. Hope to see you out here soon. 

Repairing bunkers

Last night we got 1.5" of hard rain. This puts us just over 3" for the week. With the hard rain, our bunker edges washed in a lot of areas. 

We are concentrating all of our labor today on fixing these edges. It is a time and labor intensive process, so we will be behind some golfers all day. Sorry for the poor bunker conditions today, but when you are dealing with Mother Nature, you have to play the hand she deals you. 

Spiking Greens

This winter we repaired an old piece of equipment that we are starting to use now. Tomorrow morning we will be spiking our greens. We use a Toro Sandpro with a spiking attachment instead of the rake attachment. This is a very good tool for our greens during the summer. This allows us to open the top half inch of the green without disrupting play.

If the greens get wet or sealed off, this will allow them to dry a little better or take in water a little easier. After the wet period we have just been through, we have noticed a little algae on some of the greens. Hopefully using this spiker along with our light topdressing will help alleviate this algae. 

Congratulations

Congratulations to Captain Creech and the red team on their victory this year. After playing to a tie on Saturday's four ball matches, the red team pulled ahead in Sundays individual matches and won 64 to 50. Everyone seemed to have a great time. Thanks for all of the positive comments on the course conditions. 

2013 Red and White

This weekend we have our 2013 Red and White. Chuck Hill is captaining the white team while Cliff Creech is heading up the red team. We set up the course very fair. I wanted to add a picture of our range tee as it was set up before any players got there. This is what right looks like. Great job guys. 

Pond Levels

If you have been on the course over the last week or so, you've probably noticed the pond levels on #13 and #15 being way down. This is being done intentionally. The drain lines for these greens exit into the ponds. They are under water if the ponds are full. We have found over the last 2 years that these greens perform better if the water level is below the outfall of these drain lines. This allows any water to exit the pipes but it also allows all of the gasses that build up in the lines to exit the pipes. This is very important to the greens health in the summer. Unfortunately we do not have a better way to run the drain lines where they won't be in the ponds. This was a bad design during construction and unfortunately we have to pay the price now. We feel having half full ponds is better than having half living greens. 

Thanks for your understanding. 

Utilizing our tools

Now that the warmer weather is upon us, we have to really stay on top of our greens moisture levels. Every one knows if the greens dry out it can lead to them stressing and eventually dying. The same is true if they are too wet. One of our best tools in attaining the perfect moisture level is our moisture meters. You will see us out with our meters checking the moisture levels throughout the day. We mainly use them in the mornings and afternoons so we know where we start the day and where we end up. This allows us to know if we need to run the overhead irrigation on the greens or just supplement certain areas with our hose. 

So when you see us out with our moisture meters, you will know what we are doing. If you are interested in knowing more about them, just ask and we will show you how they work. 

New Fence on #7

We put up a fence on #7 today to help people see the drain pipe that daylights on the right side of the fairway. Since the fence is an immovable obstruction, it is covered under rule 24-2. If it interferes with your lie, stance, or the area of your intended swing, you can take relief with no penalty.

Curfew Application on Greens

Today we applied Curfew Soil Fumigant to the greens. This is to combat our high nematode counts on our greens. Curfew is a liquid that is applied by a machine that slices 5" into the soil and injects the liquid into the soil. Once Curfew is in the soil, it volatilizes as a gas and moves through the soil and kills nematodes on contact. With the curfew application, we will have healthier turf. Nematode control promotes healthier root systems and this allows better uptake of water and nutrients.
This is the second year we have applied this product and we hope to see the same if not better results this year.

Checking Root Depth on Greens

This morning we are pulling samples from the greens for our nematode assay (more on this later) and I just wanted to send out an update on root health. We are pulling a 3/4" round core at a depth of 6". On the majority of our samples the roots are hanging out of the bottom of the corer. This is very encouraging with warm weather coming up.

Edging Bunkers

Over the last two days, we have completely redone our bunker edges. This is a very timely process when we do it for the first time of the season. We have to pull all of the sand away from the edges. Then we cut a clean sharp edge with a weedeater. We are mainly trimming all of the rogue Bermuda runners that come off of the face of the bunker. Once we have our new edge, we clean out the bunker. The most timely part of the process is rebuilding the edges. We have to make sure we have a good lip where we need it and make sure there is a good slope from the grass to the bottom of the bunker on the low side of the bunker.
Throughout the summer, we will edge all the bunkers every 2-3 weeks. The rebuilding process will not take near as long the remainder of the season.

Aerifying Heavily Compacted Areas

A lot of areas on the golf course get very compacted due to cart traffic, equipment traffic, lack of water, tree roots, and other factors. Probably the worst factor is cart and equipment traffic. For the next few days we will be aerifying these areas. We will be using the same machine we used for the fairway aerification. It is just a little slower process because a lot of these areas will be aerified numerous times. We are doing all of this aerification in preparation of our big fertilizer spread next week.
Alex Moseley is the man on the tractor this week. He has been with us for almost 2 years and has become one of our go to guys on a lot of things. He can run any piece of equipment we have with just a little training. He has stepped up in our greens water management as well. If you see Alex out there, thank him for his hard work and dedication. This goes for all of our guys as well. They like to know their hard work is appreciated by you all.

Fairway Aerification

We aerified all of the fairways today.  We use a different machine on the fairways than we use on the greens.  This machine is pulled behind a tractor and is ground speed driven (it pokes the same amount of holes wether you go 1 mph or 10 mph) and is a lot wider than our greens aerifier.  Fairway aerification is a lengthy process.  We start by pulling the cores from the fairway.  After they have been aerified, we drag the plugs.  This breaks up the plugs and makes them a little more manageable.  Once they have been broken up, we blow the fairways off with the tractor blower.  The last thing we do is mow the fairways.  This helps smooth out the tufts of grass left from the tines.  Over the next few days, we will mow them in different directions to help smooth them even more.
You may ask why we pull a core instead of just using a solid tine.  Pulling a core is a lot messier and a lot more work to clean up, but if we are going to aerify, pulling material out is the only way to go in my book.  If you use a solid tine, all you are doing is causing more compaction between the tines as the soil is just pushed tighter together.  If you remove the material by pulling a core, you are relieving compaction and also removing thatch and organic material.  This is the same wether you are aerifying a golf course, sports field, or a home lawn.

Here is Alex using the aerifier

Here is a close up of the machine and what the plugs and holes look like just after being pulled.

Andrew hard at work dragging the plugs with the steel drag

This is Mike using the tractor blower cleaning the debris left from the drag mat

And we finally mow the fairways to finish up the process

Here is the finished product